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Quotes

"There is no better way to thank God for your sight than by giving a helping hand to someone in the dark." - Helen Keller

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me." ~Erma Bombeck

You may never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice.- Unknown

Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow' ~Helen Keller

Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.

Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."- Dr. Seuss

"Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you react to it."

"God doesn't give children with disabilities to strong people: He gives them to ordinary, everyday people, then He helps the parents to grow stronger through the journey. Raising a child with special needs doesn't TAKE a special family, it MAKES a special family."Author Unknown

I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go – Abraham Lincoln

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. ~ Benjamin Franklin

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is a miracle - Albert Einstein

The journey of a 1000 miles starts with a single step

Sometimes in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives you a fairy tale

Where there is great love, there are always miracles - Willa Cather

The Difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a little longer

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness

There are two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots. The other is wings.

Life may not be the party we expected, but while we are here, we might as well dance

"The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones." -Confucius

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Finley's Vision Field Test

Well - another vision field appointment is on the books. This is the 6th year we are seeing Dr. Mayer at Perkins. As Finley sat down in the vision field testing seat, I pictured that little 3 year old girl who was so tiny in that big chair. I would love to say that this year's appointment showed stability in her vision, but I cannot. She has had a significant change in her vision fields, which matches some of the concerns we were having with her. Last year she had a 70% peripheral field, and this year it is 50%. Her scatoma (like that word? That is the black areas where she sees nothing) has gotten larger in both eyes and more dense. (she used to have more a "swiss cheese" vision). Today she even tested her with both eyes open and her fields have shrunk in her overall daily vision. (because who sees one eye at a time - that is why she does this). Her acuity has decreased. Her contrast vision has decreased, so she needs more light, more contrast. Except with her type of LCA, more light means more vision loss. The doctor was dismayed. More than I have ever seen her. She sighed heavily, and told me she wish she had better news, but as we all know with LCA, this is what is going to happen. The older she gets, the more vision that disappears. This was the first time I really had to hold it together in the doctor's office. After 6 years, we have watched her lose her vision. But this was the most she has lost in one year, so it was hard. CURE. NOW.I had Dr. Mayer copy her "plots" for me today. Usually these would be in pretty colors (she color codes the different dot size, so bare with me). So - the outside ring - that is where Finley can see the largest light dot she uses (a little smaller than a quarter). Last year that line was at the 70 - now it is at the 50). The next line is where she can see a medium size light dot (about the size of a dime). That line is between the 40 and 30. And then the last line (which is right by the 30) is where she can see the smallest light - which is about the size of a tac. The middle section there - where you see she kind of shaded it in with black lines? That is where she sees nothing at all. And the area with the dots? She is pretty sure she doesn't see anything there either. All of this has changed from last year.

This is the right eye. This actually made the doctor more upset than the left because her right eye has always been better off than her left. Same thing as the last picture with the lines. The shaded areas and dotted areas are where she sees nothing at all.

This is what she can see now with both eyes open. So when she is looking straight ahead (just like you are right now), Her fields are below 70 with both eyes open (last year they were above 80 with both eyes open). And in the center - the dotted and lined areas - that is where she doesn't see anything.

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We are a family of 5 living in Massachusetts. Mat and I have been married for 16 years, and we have three children. Arlington is 11 years old, and Finley and Cainan are 8 years old. We adopted Cainan from China when he was 14 months old. He was born with cleft lip and palate level three. This blog started out as our journey to bring him into our family and has turned into our family blog. He and Finley are only 30 days apart!! We love being a blended family, and enjoy sharing about our trials and tribulations through becoming one! Also, our daughter Finley was diagnosed in 2009 with Lebers Congenital Amaurosis (LCA) a rare genetic eye condition that has made her legally blind. Come and read about our proud family!If you want to read Cainan's story, click here:The Pletcher Five Journey Blessings Times Three: Cainan's Story